Avs' tiny man Sam Girard somehow one of NHL's most pesky d-men

Rookie 19-year-old making waves early in career

Ten years ago, a 162-pound defenseman like Sam Girard had no chance to play in the NHL.

Ten years ago, Girard was 9 and relatively clueless about how his hockey career would pan out. As he began moving up the ranks he was continually doubted.

"I would say all of my career everybody is saying I'm not going to be able to play in the NHL or even junior," Girard said.

Instead of checking the puck-carrier, Girard began to drape them, and patiently he would find the right time to use his quick stick and feet to steal the puck and go the other way. His ability to transition from defending to gaining puck-possession has been as remarkable as his ability to quarterback an NHL power play as a teenager.

Throughout it all, he had to be fearless, and that came as naturally as his offensive instincts, which have netted him one goal and 11 assists this season.

The Avalanche rookie has shown improvement in every facet in the 34 games since he was acquired Nov. 5 from Nashville in the three-team Matt Duchene trade. Girard logged 19:45 in Colorado's last game Thursday in St. Louis, and could soon be playing more than 20 minutes every night.

"I trust him defensively and his ability to move the puck out of (dangerous) situations and through the neutral zone," said Avs coach Jared Bednar.

The NHL ice surface is 200 feet by 85 feet and Girard seems to play equally as well in every corner — even the defensive zone where defensemen are traditionally required to knock the opponent off the puck.

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"That's the concern — you have to be able to defend in this league. You can't just be a smaller, puck-moving guy who plays the power play," Bednar said. "Until you see him defend, that would be your worry — that maybe he'd get in trouble with the big bodies. But he's a real intelligent player and he's got great feet and a great stick. We try to encourage our guys to close quickly — close plays down — and he just has a different way of defending."

The 5-foot-10 Girard is perhaps the best pint-sized defenseman in the NHL. Granted, there aren't many to compare him to, but that has also helped Bednar realize that Girard is a gem — and the primary reason Colorado looks bound to win the Duchene trade in a landslide.

"He'll be draped on a guy like a shadow all over the D-zone and the guy never gets a chance to get his head up and make a play because he's always hassling with his stick (protecting the puck)," Bednar said. "He separates him from the puck and away he goes. That's his smarts, and his feet, and an understanding of what the guy wants to do with the puck and taking that away from him."

Girard was raised in the French-speaking city of Roberval in Quebec. He grew up admiring undersized NHL defensemen such as Nashville's Ryan Ellis (5-10, 180), the since-retired Brian Campbell (5-10, 192) and Avs teammate Tyson Barrie (5-10, 190). But at 162 pounds, Girard is among the lightest players in the league.

"You need to be in good position and smart, as a small guy. Playing 1-on-1 against a 215-pound guy, you're not going to hit him. He's going to beat me, for sure," Girard said. "I contain the guy in the corner and have a great stick and play the puck. That's what you have to do when you're small — be smart, have a great stick and good position."

Girard could become the next Duncan Keith, the three-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks. Keith, 34, is listed at 6-1, 192, so he's considerably bigger than Girard, but both were Canadian junior sensations who became NHL second-round draft choices because they were deemed too small to be a bona fide first-round pick.

Avalanche top-pair defenseman Erik Johnson (6-4, 225) was the first pick of the 2006 draft by St. Louis because he had skill like Girard and Keith but size like an elite power forward. Johnson admits that Girard is more effective than he was at that age..

"He gets guys on his hip and spins off them so well, and pretty elusive with the puck for a guy his size," Johnson said of Girard. "He's just been really impressive so far. Right away he was really good, and then he had a dip in his play. But he's back at a really good level right now.

"It's helped us in our transition game a lot. You just don't find too many guys at that age to have such an easy transition to the pro game."

And you don't find that many pint-sized defensemen, especially ones building a reputation the way Girard has.

"I would say my agility is one of my best qualities," Girard said. "When I was in junior, every day, I would practice my positioning to prepare myself to be here."

Before Thursday's game in St. Louis, the Blues' Jaden Schwartz — an undersized forward at 5-10, 190 pounds — said he had never previously played against Girard but had heard about the rookie who was going to be on his heel like a shadow waiting to pick his pocket.

Ten years ago, that wouldn't have been the case. Because 10 years ago, the NHL didn't have Sam Girard.

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